Henry wigge



(No Model.)

H. WIGGE.

METHOD OF PROTECTING ENDS 0P BOILER TUBES, &c. No. 517,372. PatentedMar. 27, 1894.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY WIGGE, OF HAMILTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO EDWARD A. SMITH,OF SAME PLACE.

METHOD OF- PROTECTING ENDS OF BOILER-TUBES, &.c.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 517,372 dated March2'7, 1894.

Application filed June 29, 1893. Serial No. 479,126. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, HENRY WIGGE, of Hamilton, Butler county, Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Meth' ods of Protectingthe Ends of Boiler-Tubes and Means Therefor, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention'relates to an improved method of protecting the ends ofboiler tubes, and of means therefor, whereby the heat to which they areexposed is kept more constant, and the direct contact therewith of thecinders and variable flame is prevented.

The object of my improvement is to prevent the occurence of leaksbetween the flues and boiler head in which they are secured. This objectis attained in the following described manner as illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in Which- Figure 1 represents in perspective therear portions of a boiler and furnace; Fig. 2 a longitudinal sectionalelevation of rear portion of boiler and furnace; Fig. 3 a rear elevationof a boiler showing parts of the furnace in section; Fig. 4 aperspective View of a tile used in the construction of the fire wall;Fig. 5 a sectional detail of flue and fire wall.

In the drawings A represents the rear portion of a steam boiler, B thedraft flues or tubes therein, 0 portions of the furnace in which theboiler is set. D is the rear boiler head in which one end of the fluesis secured by swaging and-calking as is usual. E is an iron beamextending across the furnace. F is a fire wall of incombustible materialerected on said beam and covering the ends of the flues. Gis an airspace existing between the fire wall and the boiler head, and inclosedby a marginal projection H of the fire wall, and I an iron plate whichserves to cover the top of air space G and the rear portion of thefurnace. Openings J are formed through the fire wall directly oppositethe ends of the respective flues, and are preferably of less diameterthan the interior of the flues. K is a tile used in the construction ofthe fire wall. The heat is generated in the front portion of the furnacewhence it passes rearwardly under the boiler and returns through theflues to the chimney. The intensity of the heat is subject to suddenvariations from various causes, as by the opening of the furnace door,replenishing the fuel, changing the draft dampers, &c. These suddenvariations are especially injurious to the exposed flue joints, bycausing irregular and incessant'changes in the expansion and contractionof the parts, and soon result in producing leaks therein. This objectionis remedied by my method of intercepting the heat in its passage to theflues by a fire wall provided with openings, said openings separate andconduct the heat to the interior of the respective flues, and preventits coming in direct contact with the ends thereof. When the fire wallbecomes heated its temperature remains substantially constant and is notsensitive to sudden variations, the tempera ture in the air spacesurrounding the ends of the flues is regulated by the heat of the wall,and is therefore less variable. The heated wall also serves to modifysudden variations in the currents of heat while passing through theopenings therein to the flues. The smaller the size of the openingsthrough the wall in relation to the size of the flues the farther thecurrent of heat will be projected within the flues before expanding incontact with the sides thereof, and the more protection will be affordedto the ends of the flues from variations in the heat currents. The airspace between the fire wall and boiler may be omitted and the wall bebuilt against the boiler head. The holes through the wall may beenlarged or flaring on the outside to admit the heat more readily. Thefire wall may consist of any incombustible material as iron, clay, orasbestos, and may be constructed and supported in any desirable manner,a single slab made of fire clay similar to furnace or stove linings, andof the proper dimensions and provided with the necessary openingsopposite the ends of the flues, serves the purpose well for smallboilers. It is convenient however in the construction of the walls, forlarge boilers to use prepared tiles of the forms shown in Figs. 1 and 4:and securing them properly together with fire clay. The fire wall shouldintercept the heat in its entrance to the flues, which in boilers of thelocomotive type, would necessitate its location in the fire box wherethe heat passes directly to the flues, instead of first passing underthe boiler as is usual in stationary boilers set in separate furnaces.

By locating the wall in front of the end of the fiues without having anyportion of it projecting into the ends of the lines, it can expand andcontract without being affected or broken, which would not be the caseif any portion of it projected into the ends of the flues, as suchportion must necessarlly be very thin to prevent closing the ends of thefines, which would render such portion liable to be cracked or broken bythe least movement of the wall.

I am aware that prior to my invention intermediate fire walls have beenused in smoke consuming furnaces and that protectors have been insertedinto the ends of the tubes or flues. I therefore do not claim suchcombination broadly, but

WVhat I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is

1. The herein described method of protecting the ends of boiler tubeswhich consists in separating the current of heat in its passage to thetubes and distributing the same, through a strata of air ofsubstantially constant temperature, to the interior of the respectivetubes without contact with the ends thereof.

2. The herein described method of protecting the ends of boiler tubeswhich consists in maintaining the temperature, substantially constant,of a strata of air in contact with a boiler head, and passing currentsof heat through the same to the interior of the respective tubes withoutcoming in contact with the ends thereof.

3. The combination, with a tubular boiler and furnace, of a fire wall ofincombustible material provided with openings of a less diameter thanthe boiler tubes and that register with the ends of the tubesrespectively, whereby an air chamber is formed between said wall and theboiler head whereby the heat is admitted to the interior of the tubesthrough the openings in the fire wall and through said air chamber allportions of said wall being out of contact with the interior of thelines.

4. The combination, with a tubular boiler and furnace, of an iron beamacross the furnace, near the end of the boiler, a perforated fire wallupon the beam, said wall consisting of a series of tiles ofincombustible material, whereby an air chamber is formed between the endof the boiler and the wall.

HENRY WIGGE.

Witnesses:

Conn HUSTON, R. S. CARR.

